Manatee County residents urged to join ‘turtle trail’ during the pandemic
To provide residents and their families with a safe and enjoyable activity while socially distancing, the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is launching a Turtle Trail throughout the community.
In partnership with Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch & Shorebird Monitoring, the bureau is encouraging residents and business owners to put stuffed animals, figurines, statues, photos or illustrations of sea turtles in windows, on mailboxes or in other visible places for families to search for while on walks together.
For those in need of a turtle to display, the visitors bureau has created a printable coloring page that can be downloaded at https://www.bradentongulfislands.com/turtle-trail.
“Children everywhere now find themselves at home, unable to see family members or attend school with friends, and parents are looking for fun ways to keep them engaged while also following guidelines and remaining safe,” said Kelly Clark, the bureau’s director of communications.
“Our Turtle Trail is a simple idea designed to raise awareness of the animals we share our shores with and provide an entertaining activity for all. We hope many consider putting a turtle up on display and also heading out to track them down,” she said.
Clark also hopes the initiative will shine a light on the many Bradenton area non-profits working with limited resources during the pandemic.
“AMI Turtle Watch is one of the many non-profit organizations that continues to do all it can to achieve its mission, even during this time of uncertainty. Much like our hotel, attraction and restaurant partners, we must remember to support these groups in order to ensure they too are in a position to continue their good work long after this crisis has passed,” Clark said.
For more than 30 years, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch has coordinated conservation efforts for 12 miles of Manatee County shoreline, monitoring 7,339 turtle activities.
Turtle nesting season along Manatee County’s beaches typically runs from May to October.
AMI Turtle Watch reports that it has protected 4,454 nests and 301,694 turtle eggs, while watching 271,680 hatchlings depart to become future generations of loggerheads.
Those who take part by putting a sea turtle on display or heading out with family to follow the trail are also encouraged to share images of their turtles or those they find on Instagram using #BradentonAreaTurtleTrail.
Donations to Turtle Watch can also be made at https://www.islandturtlewatch.com/
